Good Morning! 🌞 

I often have trouble getting good sleep and I know a lot of people in the same situation. Today’s Wellness Wednesday article is about the benefits of getting good sleep.

We were also able to get BetterSleep to sponsor this newsletter which we are so happy about. Hopefully it is something you all will find enriches your sleep and life!

Innovation

Flooding the Forest

For decades, Slovakia’s wetlands—once integral to the Danube floodplain—have been systematically drained to make way for agriculture, hydroelectric power, and timber production. Many have even been replaced by tree plantations, disrupting the delicate balance these waterlogged habitats rely on. While forests are undeniably important, planting trees in wetlands can have unintended consequences that undermine the vital ecosystem services these unique areas provide.

Beyond their lush appearance, wetlands act as powerful carbon sinks, capturing significant amounts of atmospheric carbon and helping mitigate climate change. They also support a rich diversity of flora and fauna adapted to wet conditions, including the Pannonian root vole—a small rodent endemic to the region and now nationally endangered. The loss of wetlands thus not only erodes natural defenses against climate change but also threatens the survival of species that have evolved to thrive under these specialized conditions.

In response, a new restoration effort seeks to rewild Slovakia’s drained landscapes by digging 650 meters of ditches, thereby returning water to previously parched areas. This seemingly simple measure is poised to revive groundwater levels, restore lost biodiversity, and reestablish the dynamic floodplain processes that once characterized the region. Crucially, the transformation of certain tree plantations back into wetlands underscores a commitment to preserving the full spectrum of natural habitats—offering renewed hope for species like the Pannonian root vole and a healthier future for Slovakia’s environmental heritage.

World News

127-Million-year Old Footprint

A 127-million-year-old dinosaur footprint was discovered on a UK beach after a storm.

Joe Thompson, a 23-year-old fossil guide, found the one-meter-long, three-toed print on the Isle of Wight’s Shepherd’s Chine beach. Storms had stripped away pebbles, revealing the fossil in the clay. “I had been searching for hours without luck, then I spotted a toe in the clay,” Thompson said. “After uncovering it, I realized it was a large Iguanodon footprint.” Positioned higher in the rock layers than other footprints on the island, it likely belonged to a younger specimen.

The discovery coincides with the 200th anniversary of Iguanodon’s first scientific description in 1825. Iguanodons were herbivores up to ten meters long, weighing over four tons. They traveled in herds, walked on all fours, and ran on two legs. Thompson, a Bristol University paleontology graduate and guide for Wight Coast Fossils, recently started South Coast Fossils, leading fossil walks in Highcliffe near Christchurch. “The Isle of Wight remains one of Europe’s best sites for dinosaur fossils,” he said.

Good News

Justice After 30 Years

A Hawaii man has been freed after three decades behind bars, thanks to new DNA evidence that cleared him of any involvement in a 1994 murder. Gordon Cordeiro, convicted in the killing of Tim Blaisdell during a drug deal-turned-robbery, was exonerated with help from the Hawaii Innocence Project. Moments after his release, Cordeiro headed straight to his mother’s grave—she had passed away from ALS just before his arrest.

Cordeiro’s initial trial resulted in a hung jury, but a second trial saw him sentenced to life without parole. The case against him rested heavily on the accounts of jailhouse informants hoping to reduce their own sentences, while another suspect, Michael Freitas, implicated Cordeiro and became the prosecution’s primary witness. When DNA testing later revealed an unidentified person’s genetic material inside Blaisdell’s jeans, it fundamentally undermined the state’s theory of the crime.

In the wake of this discovery, Judge Kristin Hammam vacated Cordeiro’s conviction, prompting tears throughout the courtroom. “He cried, we all cried,” said Kenneth Lawson of the Hawaii Innocence Project. Now adjusting to a vastly different world from the one he left behind, Cordeiro wryly noted, “I walked in with a pager. Now everybody’s on their phones.” Despite the emotional toll of three lost decades, his exoneration closes a painful chapter and offers hope for reform in the justice system.

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Mind Stretchers

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Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:

What state is known for being the happiest? —Merry-land! 😆 Debbie Ettinger got this correct first! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.